FROM the PRESIDENT
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I am looking out the window of our house as I write the President’s message for the WBH Spring edition of THE Bowhunter magazine. I can see 5 tom turkeys picking at the ground, finding what they can to eat on the pretty much snowless ground. The forecast for tonight and tomorrow says this is soon to change. By morning we will have 6-9 inches of snow, with winds of 25-40 mph. I have heard the old saying many times in my life “If you want change, just live in northern Wisconsin. The weather will be changing.”
Speaking of the word “change,” I would like to start my message with my thoughts on WBH’s annual membership convention, held this year on March 1. The annual WBH convention serves multiple purposes, and is constantly evolving to best suit member’s needs. Its primary purpose is to gather the membership together to elect directors and discuss the direction of the association going forward. The annual convention is also a chance for WBH members to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, share stories of past hunts and learn from our various seminar speakers. The convention is also one of WBH’s larger fundraising events.
I, along with the WBH board of directors, thought the convention was enjoyed by all who attended. The board and I did hear a couple of comments regarding the early membership meeting time. However, the earlier time did not appear to dampen attendance, as we had over 70 members present, which is more than last year when the meeting was held in the afternoon. Many thought it was good to get the business part of the convention over and done with as soon as possible, providing for a more relaxed atmosphere for the rest of the day. During the meeting the business that needed to be completed was done and the members present were able to put in their comments and advice on the present and the future of WBH.
The vendor hall seemed to be busy for the better part of the day. In large part this was due to the early business meeting time, which eliminated the mid-day lull, when in past years the members were pulled off the convention floor to attend the meeting. The vendors I was able to talk to said they had a good day with steady traffic, allowing them to talk with folks about their products services.
From a fundraising standpoint, we did pretty good this year. Regarding the bucket raffle, a review of the tickets in the individual buckets showed which items WBH members were most interested in. The special raffle, which was a group of Milwaukee products, appeared to be well received. Likewise, our members seemed to enjoy both the Plinko and Spin to Win games. On the other hand, the two silent auctions we held did not seem to generate much interest. We will need to decide whether the juice is worth the squeeze here, or if we should be looking at other options.
The 4 seminars were well attended. I noticed that Randy Johnson, who is the Large Carnivore Specialist for the DNR, was still in his seminar room talking with members for more than a half hour after his seminar was completed. Members were very interested in what he had to say, and to ask him questions. I am sure wolves were talked about.
I would like to thank the WBH benefactors who financially support WBH each year above and beyond their membership dues. Your contributions are greatly appreciated.
The convention wrapped up with the annual awards banquet on Saturday evening. Those in attendance were blessed to hear from WBH member Dan Evanson, who recently completed the grand slam, taking all 29 North American big game species, using archery equipment. Dan’s presentation was enjoyed by all. I heard many compliments on how much attendees enjoyed his talk. One gentleman’s wife, who is not a hunter, told me that she just couldn’t wait to hear what he was going to say next. Thank you, Dan!!
The awards portion of the banquet included the presentation of the WBH Member of the Year and Conservation Officer of the Year, along with the 2024 big game awards. In the big game awards, youth category, Justin Pecha, a 12-year-old WBH youth member who was featured in the Winter edition of THE Bowhunter, swept his division with awards for largest typical whitetail, bear and typical turkey. Congratulations Justin! It was great to have entries in the youth category this year. Remember, WBH has Men’s, Women’s and Youth divisions for the big game awards.
The next WBH annual convention will again be held in Stevens Point at the Holiday Inn on March 7, 2026. This will be WBH’s 85th year of existence. That is something all of us WBH members should be proud of. WBH has been preserving, promoting and protecting bowhunting in Wisconsin for a long time! For our 85th annual membership convention, I am happy to announce that we have lined up Hoyt pro-staffer Art Helin as our featured speaker. Art is a WBH member who lives in Wisconsin and loves bowhunting. A big thanks to Hoyt Archery, one of our corporate sponsors, for making this possible.
Changing gears, I would like to welcome John Lappen to the WBH board of directors, representing District 5. In my conversations with John, I can see he is enthusiastic about serving on the WBH board and providing his expertise to help the board continue to be productive.
This portion of my Presidents message is not so easy for me to write. I, and WBH would like to thank Dave Peterson for his many years of dedicated service to WBH and to the WBH board. Dave was elected to some positions, appointed to others and volunteered for others, always doing his best for WBH. I personally appreciate his willingness to be a sounding board for my numerous questions in the early years of my WBH presidency. I have always valued his opinions on different WBH matters. I pray that now that Dave is no longer on the WBH board, he has more chances to hunt, talk smart, drink beer and enjoy God’s great outdoors. Oh, and maybe kill some turkeys. Thank you again Dave.
As in the past, I would like to call your attention to the vacancies WBH has on the board in many districts. If any of you would like more information about being on the WBH board, please give me a call or reach out to Julie at the office. We would be more than happy to answer any of your questions or concerns about being a director.
Besides being a director, another way you can support WBH is by recruiting your friends, fellow bowhunters and youth to be members of WBH. The more members WBH has, the more influence we have with the DNR, legislators and others when issues involving bowhunting arise.
Finally, I would like to thank the WBH board for their confidence in me by reelecting me to another term as your President. My phone is always ready to take calls or texts from members, my computer is available for emails, or if you see me, I am willing to listen to your comments and concerns.
Thank You and God Bless,
Richard Kirchmeyer
President WBH